BOISE, Idaho - Brendan McClain led Boise State‘s men’s tennis team against the No. 32 ranked Northwestern Wildcats Friday afternoon collecting wins in doubles and singles at the Boise Racquet & Swim Club in Boise. Unfortunately, the 46th-ranked Broncos fell 5-2 to the visitors in the second match of the season for Boise State. McClain teamed up with Garrett Patton to win 6-5 at No. 1 doubles, then followed that with a straight set 6-1, 6-4 victory in singles. The loss drops Boise State to 1-1 on the year, while Northwestern goes to 1-0.

Boise State gained the early momentum in the match when it took the doubles point by winning two of the three matches. McClain and Patton recorded the first of two victories in doubles for the Broncos with a 6-5 win over the Wildcats’ duo of Mihir Kumar and Sam Shropshire on court one. The team point was claimed when Toby Mitchell and Nathan Sereke defeated Strong Kirchheimer and Raleigh Smith at No. 3 doubles also by the score of 6-5.

Boise State struggled in singles when Northwestern rallied from one team point down to defeat the Broncos by winning five of the six matches. McClain recorded the lone victory for the blue and orange when he downed Northwestern’s Alex Pasareanu 6-1, 6-4 on court five to make the team score 2-1 Boise State.

Unfortunately that was the final point for the Broncos. Sophomore Thomas Tenreiro, playing on court three, put a scare into No. 114 Sam Shropshire taking him to three sets before falling 5-6, 6-5, 6-3. Sereke also took his opponent to three sets on court two before Konrad Zieba claimed the 5-6, 6-5, 6-5 win.

The Broncos will now hit the road for six weeks before returning home on March 9th when they host the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Their next match is at Waco, Texas, where they will play Baylor next Saturday (Jan. 25), then either Drake or Auburn on Sunday (Jan. 26).